Fact Sheet 2010–3089
![]() AbstractChromium, a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point, is a silvery white, hard, and bright metal plating on steel and other material. Commonly known as chrome, it is one of the most important and indispensable industrial metals because of its hardness and resistance to corrosion. But it is used for more than the production of stainless steel and nonferrous alloys; it is also used to create pigments and chemicals used to process leather. |
First posted October 2010 For additional information contact: Part or all of this report is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF); the latest version of Adobe Reader or similar software is required to view it. Download the latest version of Adobe Reader, free of charge. |
Kropschot, S.J., and Doebrich, Jeff, 2010, Chromium—Makes stainless steel stainless: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2010–3089, 2 p. (Also available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2010/3089/.)